The World Was On Fire and No One Could Save Me But You
by StrangersAngel
Summary: Bethyl Smut Week Day Three Prompt: Wicked Game by Chris Isaak. Lots of love and intensity amid the smut. This one got away from me! Looking forward to feedback.


**A/N: Happy Bethyl Smut Week! This is the day three prompt "Wicked Game". (One of my favorite songs and music videos ever! The rest of the album is amazing too) Enjoy!**

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Lightning illuminated the Atlanta skyline as Beth made her way down the darkened hallway of Grady with Dawn. Beth could see the storm swirling wildly, making the rain beat against the glass. She would rather be outside battling the violent winds and angry sky then spend another minute trapped in this awful place.

It was the middle of the night, and Dawn was dragging her out of bed to dispose of a patient that had died. The elevator shaft was an open bleak canyon, taunting Beth with memories of her previous escape attempt.

"You don't have to look so put upon, Beth. This is important. You are not." Dawn said as she rolled her eyes.

"You should be a motivational speaker, Dawn. You're such an inspiration." Beth quipped. Normally she wouldn't talk back, but there was something in the air, a current that was making Beth feel impulsive and reckless.

Dawn raised her hand to strike Beth across the face again, and this time, Beth caught her forearm and held tight. Dawn had a look of shock on her face as Beth began to angrily back her towards the open elevator shaft. Without hesitating, Beth let go of her arm and kicked Dawn in the stomach, sending her hurling backwards into the abyss.

Get out now. A voice urged in her head.

The thunder rumbled and it felt like the whole building was vibrating.

Beth tip toed down the hall and stole the extra set of keys and her knife out of Dawn's office. The overnight crew was sparse tonight, and they were down three officers not including Dawn. Beth smiled. This was her chance. As she reached the double doors at the bottom of the staircase, she readied her knife as another flash of lightning illuminated the night sky.

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Daryl felt like he was suffocating inside the church. He didn't feel joy or relief at being alive. They had survived Terminus, and all he could think about was Beth. He was relieved she wasn't there, but consumed by the fact that he seemed to be the only one who had any desire to look for her. Even her own sister thought him foolish to believe she was still alive. They couldn't go to D.C. without her. He wouldn't. _It's strange what desire will make foolish people do._ He thought. He was a fool to think he could ever see Beth again, and that she would love him the way he now knew he loved her. They were fools for giving up on her so easily. He needed air. Nicotine filled air with less people who weren't Beth.

Walking outside to smoke one of his last remaining cigarettes, he heard the rumble of thunder in the distance. There was an electricity in the air as the hair on the back of his neck stood up.

 _Storm's coming. In more ways than one._ He thought.

Carol had emerged from the brush, pointing at a car she had just changed the battery in when a car came speeding down the highway. Seeing the white cross on the back, Daryl snapped into action before she could say anything. "Go tell the others I'll be back." He yelled as he started the engine and took off into the darkness following the mysterious car towards the coming storm and the city.

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Beth took off at a run through the soggy Atlanta streets. She was soaked to the bone in seconds, but found that it helped mask her scent from the walkers roaming outside the hospital gates. She briefly contemplated stealing a car, but worried that it would make too much noise. Right now she had the advantage of nobody knowing she was gone. She hoped the chaos of Dawn's demise would be enough for her to escape Grady for good.

As she huddled underneath an overhang contemplating her next move, a large black horse strode down the street, locking its gaze on her. The lightning flashed and the horse reared up on its hindquarters before striding purposefully towards her. It seemed to sense she was the only other living thing out here. Beth felt bad for the animal, it was fully saddled and harnessed and who knew how long it had been on its own?

"Shhhh... it's okay, love. We can escape together." Beth cooed at the massive beast. She inspected the saddle bags and found a loaded pistol and another hunting knife, larger than her own. The animal nuzzled Beth's side, almost encouraging her to mount. Beth had no sooner mounted the saddle when the horse took off at a full gallop, as if it knew exactly where it was headed. A deep longing pulled at Beth's heart. _Maybe this horse knows exactly where to take me. I never dreamed that I'd love somebody like you._ She thought, as Daryl's blue eyes haunted her.

###

Daryl drove with the pedal to the metal in the shitty car Carol had found. The car with the white cross was newer and faster. Daryl kept looking at the gauges with worry... this was the first lead he had as to what the hell had happened to Beth. He struggled not to just ram the car and beat the living daylights out of whoever was in the car for taking Beth. He knew the smarter play was to follow them and see where they were holed up. As he crested a small hill, he could see where the highway widened and headed into Atlanta. The car was about a thousand yards ahead of him when his engine light came on and the car started to sputter and stall. "Shit! Goddamn it! Stupid useless foreign piece of shit!" Daryl growled as he slammed his fists onto the steering column, almost dislodging the wheel.

He pulled his crossbow from the passenger seat and stepped out into the rain. He would continue on foot, crawl if he had to, but he was headed into Atlanta as the sky poured down its fury. Just as he began to trudge down the highway, a large black horse emerged from a clearing on the side of the road. Daryl approached the magnificent animal slowly, noting it was harnessed and saddled.

"C'mere, beautiful. I won't hurt you. I'm lost just like you." Daryl spoke softly, despite the storm raging around them. The horse sniffed at Daryl and nuzzled against his shoulder. A small smile came to Daryl's face. Beth would be so happy if she were here right now. "Beth..." her name involuntarily left his lips like a prayer. The horse made a small noise in solidarity and nudged Daryl, almost prompting him to mount. As soon as he was seated, the horse took off at a blinding clip towards Atlanta. "Shit! I have the worst luck with horses..." Daryl thought as he recalled his misadventure with Nervous Nellie.

As Daryl became acclimated to riding, he noticed that the horse seemed to have a purposeful direction, and he was merely along for the ride. Maybe this creature knew exactly where to take him. _"I never dreamed that I'd love somebody like you."_ Daryl thought as images of Beth shining like the sun clouded his vision more than the storm raging around him. _"I never dreamed I'd lose somebody like you..."_ A mirage of blue eyes haunted him as he gazed into the misty horizon of the distant city skyline.

Beth's horse suddenly turned left and headed down the block and froze, twitching its ears. It walked slowly into an alley and waited in the darkness. Beth smoothed her hands down its neck, trying to slick some of the water off its coat. The rain seemed worse standing still. The horse cocked its head to the side, reminding Beth somewhat of Rick. She had to stifle a small laugh. Her amusement was short lived as she heard the sound of a car approaching the block they were on. Maybe this horse had a sixth sense for danger. They were hidden in the alley, and surprisingly free of any walkers. They were about three miles from Grady, but near the entrance to the interstate. If it were one of the cars Dawn had sent out earlier, it would turn in the opposite direction. She wondered if they had figured out something was wrong yet. Dawn was always radioing the cars out in the field, but Beth had a feeling they had ignored her because she annoyed the crap out of them by checking in every five minutes.

As the sounds of the car faded, the rain began to let up slightly, and the horse took off again, correcting its course and heading straight for the interstate. Beth shrugged and figured that anywhere away from Grady was one step closer to finding her family. The horse stuck to the open side of the highway, increasing its pace as the road opened up towards the countryside. Beth breathed in the night air and as they left the decay of the city, she smelled the earthy wet soil and the forest that ran alongside the highway. It reminded her of home. She closed her eyes for a second and she swore she could smell Daryl's leather vest. _Is it possible to hallucinate scent?_ She wondered as lightning flashed in the distance. As the thunder echoed, her horse reared up and cried out, as though it was calling out for someone. Maybe her mind was playing tricks on her, but she swore she heard the distant sound of another horse answering hers.

Daryl was almost thrown when his horse reared up on it hind legs and let out a deafening call. The lightning flashed overhead and before the thunder roared he thought he heard the distant sound of another horse answering his. It must be an acoustical trick, he thought. As doubt that he would ever reach Atlanta crept into his head, the horse took off again at a full gallop. The sound of hooves echoing on the pavement filled his head as much as his rapid heartbeat. Daryl slicked back his wet hair as he squinted ahead on the empty side of the highway, not sure what he was looking for. They had been moving too fast for any random walkers, and it seemed most had moved out of the area-probably part of that large herd that had attacked the Greene farm he thought somberly. The rain had let up slightly, but there was still a lot of electricity in the air. Daryl was pulled from his thoughts when he heard it again... the distant sound of another horse. His own steed continued to gallop full speed down the road...and then he saw it on the horizon as lightning illuminated the sky, the silhouette of a horse with a single rider.

Beth felt her horse pick up the pace as she heard it call out again. Could it really be calling to another? The sound of hooves were tapping on the pavement in increasing frequency and urgency. The rain was falling at a more merciful pace, and Beth pushed her hair off her face as she tried to keep an eye out for danger. They had avoided all the walkers in the city, and Beth was thankful her traveling companion was so incredibly smart. She wondered how the horse had survived on its own and why it had wandered into the city in the first place. _Maybe it knew I needed a friend, and a ride._ She lightly chuckled, thinking of what Daryl would say to such a random circumstance. Beth was pulled from her thoughts when she heard it...the distant sound of another horse. Her own reared up and called out as another bolt of lightning flashed across the sky...and then she saw it on the horizon: the silhouette of a horse with a single rider. A rider with the distinctive shape of a crossbow sticking out from their back. Her heart almost stopped. Daryl. Could it really be him? Tears were raining down her face as her horse kept its frantic pace and the figure got closer.

As the mysterious figure got closer to Daryl he saw the horse get larger, and the petite figure of its rider came into focus, along with a shock of long, wet, very blonde hair. His heart leapt in his chest. Beth. Was it really her? Riding at him like an angel escaping hell itself? His sobs became uncontrollable and the tears falling from his eyes blurred his vision before he wiped them away and blinked. Beth. Beth! He was sure now he must be dead or dreaming.

The two horses converged in the middle of the empty highway and nuzzled as their passengers stared at one another in disbelief. The murmurs of the two exhausted beasts shook the pair of their trance as they quickly dismounted and ran to each other. Daryl dropped his crossbow and fell to his knees. Beth dropped her knife, took a running leap and jumped into Daryl's waiting arms. He caught her and held tight as they fell to the ground, sobbing and grasping at each other to confirm the existence of the other.

Dizzy with emotion, their lips crashed together as lightning illuminated the sky. Their tears intermingled in the chaos of lips, tongue, and teeth. Breaking apart only when completely breathless, Beth straddled Daryl's hips as they clawed at one another, desperate to touch flesh they still weren't certain was real. Daryl groaned into Beth's mouth as she pushed her hips down, moving her center against his wet and straining jeans.

Daryl gently rolled them off the asphalt and onto the grass covered median, the long, wet grass and soft red Georgia clay almost cradling their weary bodies. He was on top of her now, holding his weight off of her with a forearm as he stared into her eyes. With his other hand, he slowly traced the contours of her face before dipping down and nibbling on her neck.

Beth pushed him back so he was kneeling with his legs bracketing her hips. She reached down and pulled the v-neck of her soggy hospital uniform off, flinging it behind her. Daryl's eyes darkened at the sight of her pale chest and rosy nipples glistening as the rain continued to fall on them. She shimmied out of her drawstring pants and looked up at him with all the love in the world in her eyes. "Touch me, Daryl." she whispered.

He bent down and captured her lips before his mouth began exploring every inch of her. He licked and kissed her collarbone, dragging his lips down her décolletage before surrounding her nipple, swirling his tongue until it stood hard in his mouth. Beth arched her chest upward as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him flush against her. "Daryl..." she whispered against the shell of his ear. "I need you...I...I..." she stuttered as he dipped a finger between them and traced her dripping core. As he slipped his calloused finger inside her warmth, she moaned into his mouth.

Beth rolled them over again so she was straddling his still clothed form once more. Daryl looked up at her with wonder as her wet hair fell around them like a veil. Rocking against him, she desperately began working the buttons of his shirt open, exposing his toned chest. Bending down to capture the nipple over his heart, she inhaled the scent of leather and hummed in contentment as she urgently began undoing his belt buckle. His pants were too wet and tight to fully remove. He shrugged them down as far as he could. Daryl's breath quickened as he felt the sweet relief of his member being released from its denim prison. Beth lowered her mouth and softly kissed the head of his cock, glistening with his arousal.

A soft whimper escaped his lips as he cupped her cheek and lifted her eyes to his. "Beth..." his breath was almost frenzied. "I need to be inside of you." he looked up at her, a single tear falling across his cheek.

They both moaned into the night air as she guided him to her entrance. Grabbing her hips, he pushed her down onto his rock hard length. Two souls fused together as he filled her completely. Crying out his name, Beth arched sharply as she held onto his forearms. Daryl had never seen anything as beautiful and miraculous as Beth moving on top of him. Her chest heaving as her hips undulated to meet his desperate upward thrusts. "Beth...Beth..."

Sitting up, he moved his fingers in between them finding her swollen clit as their rhythm began to falter with their impending release. Beth's fingers threaded through Daryl's dark hair, pulling him closer. "Daryl!" she cried skyward as she came undone. A bolt of lightning came down and hit a tree across the road as Daryl erupted inside her. A rumble of thunder reverberated through them as they rode the aftershocks of their union.

Their horses stood a few yards away, like two sentries of the apocalypse, guarding over the lovers who were no longer star-crossed. They had finally defeated fate's wicked game.

They rose from the wet ground and kissed softly as they entwined their fingers, rain rinsing the dirt and grime from Beth's naked and luminous form.

She picked up her knife and said, "I'd rather ride naked like Lady Godvia than put those scrubs back on."

Daryl chuckled at the picture Beth painted. "Fortunately your man likes to layer." He took off his vest and long sleeved button down shirt. Handing her the long-sleeve, he put his angel wings back on and kissed her again.

"Come On. Let's find you some pants before we head out. There's some people who are going to be shocked to see you. Besides, I can't bring my wife to see our family naked as a jaybird."

"Our family... Do you mean you found... wait... your Wife?" Beth looked at Daryl with love, confusion, and tears in her eyes.

Daryl knelt in front of Beth as he finished buttoning his shirt around her tiny figure.

"Beth, you are my everything. I belong to you for the rest of my life, maybe longer. I promise nothing will ever come between us again. No one can save me but you. Will you have me?"

Beth felt the tears fall as she bent to kiss her husband. "Yes...always my love. I belong to you for the rest of my life, maybe longer. Nobody loves no one the way I love you. My everything."

As they picked up their weapons, Beth glanced over to the two magnificent horses that had brought them together.

"So who or what do you think sent those horses to us?" Beth asked.

Daryl looked over at his wife with a genuine smile. "I like to think it was Hershel...helping us out. Somebody once told me it wouldn't kill to have a little faith."

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 **A/N: So this got away from me yesterday...and took a little longer than I thought. Always late but worth the wait I hope! Happy Bethyl smut week loves!**


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